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Boulders that defy the laws of balance and whose crash seems barely to have stopped, vertiginous viewpoints, rocks with shapes sculpted by facetious erosion, the Sandstone Trail opens the doors to an astonishing world. Whatever the season, it’s a magical sight to behold.
Climb to your fingertips, or what’s left of them!
With their boulders scattered beneath the chestnut trees, the Annot Sandstone is the little Fontainebleau of the southern Alps!
There are also equipped routes for all levels of climber. Different practices but a single subject.
150 hectares of the site are classified as a Sensitive Natural Area. Here, heather rubs shoulders with giant asphodel, ferns share the undergrowth with cephalanthus, Provence orchid and monkey orchid. Hollow trees and cracks in the rock are home to many bats, and it’s not uncommon to see a golden eagle flying past the dizzying walls.
Sandstone, found over almost 40 square kilometers around Annot, leaves its mark on the habitat. One of the most original of these elements is the rock shelter, which ranges from a simple lean-to against the cliff to a perfect symbiosis with the rock.
It also reveals astonishing local history along the roads and trails. Here, the remains of a Roman mausoleum, there, a paved path in the heart of the forest, elsewhere, a hamlet from another time.
More than a hundred rock shelters dot the territory. Some are very old, but to date no research has been undertaken to date them.
The story between him and Annot sandstone goes back to the 16th century and tells of the ties forged with the local people. In the past, it was used from trunk to leaf, including its highly nutritious fruit. More than a forest, our chestnut groves are orchards, and chestnuts are an emblematic ingredient of the local culinary heritage.
Sandstone contributes to the richness of the landscape and architecture, but that’s not all… thanks to chestnuts, it plays an important role in local gastronomy.
The name Annot Sandstone given to this type of rock is recognized by the scientific community. Its picturesque shapes have evocative names and have been a listed natural site since 1920.
The Sandstone is home to 5 nationally protected plant species, including several orchids.
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